Cover band 3½ Men invited 9-year-old drummer Adam Wooten to sit in one night as a friendly gesture. About three years later, Adam is not just the band’s drummer — he’s stealing the show.

Singer and bass player Matt Cohen remembers a recent show in Nashville where Adam was seated behind a Plexiglas barrier covered with graffiti. He said audience members left their seats to peek behind the wall at the drummer and when they did, “their jaws dropped.”

“People literally didn’t realize it was a 12-year-old playing drums,” said Cohen, 46. “I’ve had the chance to play with a lot of really great drummers over the years, and I can tell you that Adam, and how he lays down that groove, is already one of the best drummers I’ve ever played with.”